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OPINION
Burn away business clutter
If you can clear out the unnecessary underbrush, you will benefit from a staff that finally can breathe, see new paths, and move your firm forward.
T here is a forestry term called controlled or prescribed burning. A controlled burn is a fire set on purpose to reduce underbrush buildup, control competing vegetation, and improve accessibility. It can also have the benefit of returning nutrients to the soil from the ashes of the burnt brush. In addition, fire can be rejuvenating in that the additional sunlight and open space in a forest can help young trees and other plants start to grow.
Greg Sepeda
So, does your business need a controlled burn? Over time, most businesses tend to accumulate processes, weekly reports, regular scheduled meetings, and more. And what I have often found is that people cannot remember what some of these are supposed to be accomplishing. Just look for the smirks and the eye-rolling next time that weekly meeting rolls around. We all still laugh at the famously quoted scene in the 1999 movie Office Space when Lumbergh scolds Peter for not using the new cover sheet on his TPS reports. As funny as these brief moments may be, they all take time away from what we need to be doing. Just as scrub underbrush and weeds steal nutrients from healthy timber, these unnecessary items are taking energy away from your staff for productive activities and accomplishing what your business
aims to achieve. However, I am not advocating cutting all existing activities; this would lead to chaos and anarchy as managers all pursued their own objectives. What I am proposing is clearing out the things that are hindering your business from moving forward. Here are three things you can do to restore some health to your business: 1. Step back and remind yourself of the purpose of your business, the objective of your project, or the task at hand. Working backwards, you can begin eliminating each process, report, or meeting that does not help achieve that purpose. Maybe that TPS cover sheet really is necessary, but only if it
See GREG SEPEDA, page 8
THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 29, 2024, ISSUE 1522
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